All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to read "sworn against me" as simply meaning enemies are plotting against the psalmist. But the Hebrew actually points to something more chilling: they're using his name as a curse, wishing others to become as miserable as he is. They literally swear by him, making his suffering a byword for extreme misfortune.
All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The psalmist is in deep distress, feeling forsaken and overwhelmed by suffering. His enemies not only mock him constantly but even use his name as a curse, invoking his miserable state when wishing ill upon others. This verse highlights how his personal suffering has become a public spectacle, a byword for misfortune and a tool for his enemies' hatred.
Ever felt like you're under a microscope, with every move scrutinized and criticized? This verse paints a picture of relentless harassment.
The psalmist is describing a state of continuous suffering. His enemies aren't just attacking him occasionally; they are tormenting him 'all the day.' This isn't a fleeting moment of trouble but a prolonged season of intense opposition.
The Weight of Relentless Scorn
This daily barrage of mockery and derision amplifies the psalmist's pain. It's not just about the attacks themselves, but their constancy. Imagine the emotional toll of waking up each day knowing that mockery awaits.
What if your very identity, your name, was twisted into a symbol of misfortune for others?
The second half of the verse describes a profound level of hatred and contempt. The enemies aren't just mocking the psalmist; they are using his name as a curse. This means that when they wanted to wish someone the worst, they would invoke the psalmist's name or his plight.
A Symbol of Misery
This practice served as a stark warning and a potent curse. To say 'May your fate be like his' or 'May you suffer as he suffers' turned the individual into a living embodiment of bad luck or divine displeasure. It's a sign that the enemies saw him as utterly forsaken and a fitting example of despair.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
oyeb · Hebrew Noun
Refers to those who oppose, hate, or seek the harm of the righteous. Biblically, enemies are often characterized by their pride, deceit, and hostility toward those who trust in God.
halal · Hebrew Verb
To mock, scorn, or belittle someone. In the Psalms, this action is a common tool of the wicked, designed to shame the righteous and challenge their faith in God's deliverance.
The psalm reflects the deep anguish of those suffering during the Babylonian exile, a time when national disaster was so profound that enemies would invoke the fate of the Judeans as a curse.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of many Israelites. This event marks a period of profound national trauma and vulnerability for the people of God.
597 BC
First Deportation to Babylon
The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah, exiling King Jehoiachin and a large portion of the Jerusalem elite. This begins the period of Babylonian captivity.
586 BC— this verse
Destruction of Jerusalem and Temple
Nebuchadnezzar destroys Jerusalem and the First Temple, devastating the heart of Jewish worship and national identity. Many more Judeans are exiled to Babylon.
c. 580-530 BC
Babylonian Exile Period
The Judean people live in exile in Babylon, facing daily taunts and suffering. Their national and religious identity is under severe pressure, with enemies using their misfortune as a curse.
539 BC
Cyrus the Great's Conquest of Babylon
The Persian Empire, led by Cyrus, conquers Babylon. This marks a turning point, opening the possibility for the Jewish exiles to return to their homeland.
c. 537 BC
Return of Exiles to Jerusalem
The first wave of Jewish exiles returns to Jerusalem under Zerubbabel, beginning the process of rebuilding the Temple and their community.
This passage explains the concept of people being cursed by the name of the righteous, directly connecting to the idea in Psalm 102:8 where enemies use the psalmist's name for a curse.
Jeremiah 29:22Here, the prophet mentions a curse made by using the names of Zedekiah and Ahab, who met terrible fates, illustrating the same practice of using someone's name as a form of execration.
Acts 23:12-14This account shows a group of Jews who took an oath to kill Paul, demonstrating the reality of organized enemies binding themselves by vows to harm someone, mirroring the 'sworn against me' aspect.
Luke 11:54In this Gospel passage, Jesus' enemies are described as trying to trap Him with questions, reflecting the persistent and malicious opposition faced by God's servants, similar to the daily taunting mentioned.
bensonPsalms 102:8: "Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me."
Psalm 102:8 . Mine enemies reproach me all the day — This my misery hath exposed me to the scorn of mine enemies, who do nothing but upbraid me with my calamities. And they that are mad against me — Or, my slanderers, as Dr. Waterland renders, מהוללי , moholalai, are sworn against me, — Or, they swear by me. They make use of my name and misery, in their forms of swearing and imprecation;…
clarkePsalms 102:8: "Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me."
They that are mad against me are sworn against me - The Chaldeans are determined to destroy us; and they have bound themselves by oath to do it. See a similar case related Acts 23:12-14 , where a number of Jews had bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink till they had slain Paul.
It's easy to read "sworn against me" as simply meaning enemies are plotting against the psalmist. But the Hebrew actually points to something more chilling: they're using his name as a curse, wishing others to become as miserable as he is. They literally swear by him, making his suffering a byword for extreme misfortune.
The psalmist is in deep distress, feeling forsaken and overwhelmed by suffering. His enemies not only mock him constantly but even use his name as a curse, invoking his miserable state when wishing ill upon others. This verse highlights how his personal suffering has become a public spectacle, a byword for misfortune and a tool for his enemies' hatred.
The psalmist is in deep distress, feeling forsaken and overwhelmed by suffering. His enemies not only mock him constantly but even use his name as a curse, invoking his miserable state when wishing ill upon others. This verse highlights how his personal suffering has become a public spectacle, a byword for misfortune and a tool for his enemies' hatred.
"All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse." — It's easy to read "sworn against me" as simply meaning enemies are plotting against the psalmist. But the Hebrew actually points to something more chilling: they're using his name as a curse, wishing…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026